--- title: The Latest | Heather Keam (3) description: Heather works with municipalities and organizations to build strategies that put people at the center using Asset-Based Community Development. With over 22 years of experience in community development, she uses an ABCD approach to center people and belonging in the development of community plans and strategies through coaching and training staff teams, facilitation, and writing about ABCD and Belonging. She has a passion for the power of people and believes that people and communities are the solutions to local problems. She believes that we need to build a sense of community belonging so that people are connected to their community, and their place within it and get involved in decision-making. She also believes that municipalities need to shift the way they show up in community from doing “for” to supporting communities to do themselves. (3) --- [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=200&height=47&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) # The Latest Contribute. We love to hear your thoughts, your musings and your latest work. Please share with us! [![Write a post](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/316071/33819a55-1164-4664-8ab0-c9fe2f42d6f1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/316071/33819a55-1164-4664-8ab0-c9fe2f42d6f1) #### Subscribe. Be in the know. Get the latest updates about community change and building vibrant communities. 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With over 22 years of experience in community development, she uses an ABCD approach to center people and belonging in the development of community plans and strategies through coaching and training staff teams, facilitation, and writing about ABCD and Belonging. She has a passion for the power of people and believes that people and communities are the solutions to local problems. She believes that we need to build a sense of community belonging so that people are connected to their community, and their place within it and get involved in decision-making. She also believes that municipalities need to shift the way they show up in community from doing “for” to supporting communities to do themselves. ### Recent Posts [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/VC/Images/micheile-henderson--s6Kn1Z0uOk-unsplash-1.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/2-key-elements-for-building-community-safety-well-being-plans?hsLang=en-us) ### [2 Key Elements for Building Community Safety & Well-Being Plans](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/2-key-elements-for-building-community-safety-well-being-plans?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Heather Keam](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/heather-keam) on February 5, 2020 Recently, on a webinar called Building Social Capital through Community Development, we asked the 160 participants what their ideal community looks and feels like. Here's what we heard;  [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/2-key-elements-for-building-community-safety-well-being-plans?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/VC/Images/mike-erskine-Xtnt5xtK03E-unsplash-1.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/three-approaches-that-work-well-together-to-build-community?hsLang=en-us) ### [Three Approaches That Work Well Together to Build Community](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/three-approaches-that-work-well-together-to-build-community?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Heather Keam](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/heather-keam) on November 25, 2019 I love new approaches and ways to improve how I do my community work. Here are three approaches that work well to better your community work. [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/three-approaches-that-work-well-together-to-build-community?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Photos/Image%20Library/Street%20Crossing.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/relearning-to-be-a-citizen?hsLang=en-us) ### [Relearning to be a Citizen](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/relearning-to-be-a-citizen?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Heather Keam](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/heather-keam) on October 17, 2019 I am taking part in my first book club and we are reading John McKnight and Peter Block’s book, *The Abundant Community, Awakening the Power of Families and Neighbourhoods*. A few chapters in and I have gone from confusion to amazement in my thinking process.  When we are born, we start our lives as citizens of our family and community, and slowly become consumers of products, services and systems that lead us to believe we are better off and safer. When we think like a system we tend to identify the problem by labeling a specific target - for example, the ‘youth problem’ - however, John and Peter point out that it is not the youth with the problem but the neighbourhood and community.  [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/relearning-to-be-a-citizen?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Photos/Image%20Library/Get%20to%20know%20your%20neighbours.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/get-to-know-your-neighbour-they-might-just-save-your-life?hsLang=en-us) ### [Get to Know Your Neighbours, They Might Just Save Your Life](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/get-to-know-your-neighbour-they-might-just-save-your-life?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Heather Keam](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/heather-keam) on August 21, 2019 It seems that there are more and more disasters happening all around the world. As I wrote this my power went out and it was 38 degrees outside. It may not seem like an emergency but what if the power was out for a long time, what would we do? How would my neighbourhood survive in this heat? What could I do to help them? [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/get-to-know-your-neighbour-they-might-just-save-your-life?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Photos/Image%20Library/Building%20Foundation.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/forming-foundation-build-great-things?hsLang=en-us) ### [Forming a Foundation to Build Great Things](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/forming-foundation-build-great-things?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Heather Keam](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/heather-keam) on July 19, 2019 We understand that we need to bring a group of people together when we want to start a new project or develop a strategy. We go out and ask people we know, put an invitation in the local paper and hope people show up. Then we jump right into the “doing” and don’t spend time building the foundations of a good team or leadership group. This focus on results over process often leads to the same issues - team members not sure why they are at the table, don’t help, never show up or no one takes ownership of the strategy.  [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/forming-foundation-build-great-things?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Photos/Image%20Library/Neighbourhood-1.jpg?width=300&name=Neighbourhood-1.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-impact-of-embracing-asset-based-community-development?hsLang=en-us) ### [The Impact of Embracing Asset-Based Community Development](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-impact-of-embracing-asset-based-community-development?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Heather Keam](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/heather-keam) on July 2, 2019 Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is about looking at the gifts and assets that exist within a neighbourhood and allowing people to respond to and create local opportunities. How do you use local assets and gifts to guide a city to increase the social fabric and deepen community? Howard Lawrence, who lives in a neighbourhood in Edmonton, had the answer to this question - Abundant Community.  Howard saw the power of neighbouring and wanted the city to experience the richness of neighbours sharing their gifts, knowledge, skills and abilities to improve their neighbourhood. [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-impact-of-embracing-asset-based-community-development?hsLang=en-us) [Previous](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/heather-keam/page/2) [Next](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/heather-keam/page/4) [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=3401&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) ### Tamarack [Home](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) [Latest](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest) [Events](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/eventlisting?hsLang=en-us) [Donate](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/donate?hsLang=en-us) [About](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/whoweare?hsLang=en-us) ### Follow Us [** ** ](https://www.facebook.com/TamarackInstitute) [** ** ](https://twitter.com/Tamarack_Inst) [** ** ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tamarack-institute-for-community-engagement)   In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth we honour and acknowledge that our work occurs across Turtle Island (North America), which has been home since time immemorial to the ancestors of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. ### Subscribe Be in the know. 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